Europeans Didn’t ‘Become White’

The article argues Irish, Italians, and other European immigrants were classified as white in U.S. law and common usage from the start. Claims that they were once 'non‑white' conflate discrimination within whites with non‑white racial classification and rely on selective quotes and wordplay. — By disputing a core frame in whiteness studies, it reshapes debates on racial identity, historical narratives, and present‑day policy claims built on the 'becoming white' thesis.